Dublin Convention
01 January 1991
Dublin Convention
actdoc September=1993
CONVENTION determining the State responsible for examining
Applications for Asylum lodged in one of the Member States of the
European Communities
Dublin, 15 June 1990
UK: Cm 1623 September 1991. European Communities no 40 (1991)
CONVENTION
DETERMINING THE STATE RESPONSIBLE
FOR EXAMINING APPLICATIONS FOR ASYLUM LODGED IN
ONE OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
His Majesty The King of the Belgians, Her Majesty The Queen
of Denmark, The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, The
President of the Hellenic Republic, His Majesty The King of
Spain, The President of the French Republic, The President of
Ireland, The President of the Italian Republic, His Royal
Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Her Majesty The Queen of
the Netherlands, The President of the Portuguese Republic, Her
Majesty The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland,
Having regard to the objective, fixed by the European Council
meeting in Strasbourg on 8 and 9 December 1989, of the
harmonization of their asylum policies;
Determined, in keeping with their common humanitarian
tradition, to guarantee adequate protection to refugees in
accordance with the terms of the Geneva Convention of 28 July
1951 [1], as amended by the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967
[2] relating to the Status of Refugees, hereinafter referred to
as the " Geneva Convention " and the " New York Protocol "
respectively; [1: Treaty Series No. 39 (1954), Cmd. 9171. 2:
Treaty Series No. 15 (1969), Cmnd. 3370].
Considering the joint objective of an area without internal
frontiers in which the free movement of persons shall, in
particular, be ensured, in accordance with the provisions of the
Treaty establishing the European Economic Community [3] , as
amended by the Single European Act [4]; [3: Treaty Series No. 47
(1988), Cm 455. 4: Treaty Series No. 31 (1988), Cm 372].
Aware of the need, in pursuit of this objective, to take
measures to avoid any situations arising, with the result that
applicants for asylum are left in doubt for too long as regards
the likely outcome of their applications and concerned to provide
all applicants for asylum with a guarantee that their
applications will be examined by one of the Member States and to
ensure that applicants for asylum are not referred successively
from one Member State to another without any of these States
acknowledging itself to be competent to examine the application
for asylum;
Desiring to continue the dialogue with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees in order to achieve the above
objectives;
Determined to cooperate closely in the application of this
Convention through various means, including exchanges of
information,
Have decided to conclude this Convention and to this end have
designated as their Plenipotentiaries:
His Majesty The King of the Belgians,
Melchior Wathelet
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Justice, Small and
Medium-sized Businesses and the Self-Employed
Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark,
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Dr Helmut Ruckriegel
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany at Dublin
Wolfgang Schauble
Federal Minister for the Interior
The President of the Hellenic Republic,
Ioannis Vassiliades, Minister for Public Order
His Majesty The King of Spain,
Jose Luis Corcuera, Minister for the Interior
The President of the French Republic,
Pierre Joxe, Minister for the Interior
The President of Ireland,
Ray Burke, Minister for Justice and Minister for Communications
The President of the Italian Republic,
Antonio Gava, Minister for the Interior
His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg,
Marc Fischbach, Minister for Education, Minister for Justice,
Minister for the Civil Service
Her Majesty The Queen of the Netherlands,
E